By MAKOKWA CLARA MUYENDEKWA
A MALE juvenile of Choma District has been placed on one year probation and counseling after being found with a case to answer for being in possession of marijuana.
This is in a case where the juvenile stood charged with trafficking in psychotropic substances contrary to section 15 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic substances Act no 35 of 2021 of the laws of Zambia as read together with Statutory Instrument no.199 of 1995.
Particulars of the offense are that on November 10, 2021 the male juvenile did traffic in a substance namely 2.7 grams of marijuana a herbal product of cannabis sativa without lawful authority.
Brief facts are that Drug Enforcement Commission Officers received information of person in Shampande who was trafficking in drugs.
It was then that they officers followed up and searched the juvenile who was found with one ball of marijuana and took him to police while the sample was sent to Lusaka for testing and confirmed that it was 2.7 grams of marijuana.
And Juvenile Inspector from Choma Social Welfare Office, Kazembe Zyambo told the court he was without doubt convinced that the juvenile committed the offence after having an interview with him.
“The offender committed the offence because of the environment set up he is exposed to, the family also believes in using herbs a condition I think is generic.” Mr Zyambo said
“I therefore request that the juvenile be given a second chance to prove he can have good behavior and undergo some counseling,” Mr Zyambo said.
After considering that the juvenile was a first offender and heard the report from the juvenile inspector, Senior Resident Magistrate Peter Mungala placed the offender on one year probation and counseling explaining that the offence committed is a felony.
Senior Resident Magistrate Mungala further guided the parents to the juvenile to take center stage in nurturing their child into a better person.
